


By the Way...

by StellarWing



Series: A Dragon and her (Pegasus) Knight [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Introspection, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 13:35:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7224496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StellarWing/pseuds/StellarWing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Revelation Spoilers]</p>
<p>Azura has been keeping a secret from Corrin about her lineage, a decision she is beginning to regret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By the Way...

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like I have been neglecting Azura, and this is the beginning of my attempts to rectify that.
> 
> If anyone reading this hasn't actually played through (or read up on) Revelation, you are in for a surprise about this relationship. I tend to assume anyone who reads my stuff is intimately familiar with the story, but I know that's not always the case. Sorry if this makes anyone uncomfortable, it is honestly not intended to.

Azura hadn't _meant_ to keep it from her; for years keeping secrets about her lineage had been a literal matter of life or death, and old habits were hard to break. Even when they entered Valla, memories of her mother slowly disappearing before her eyes haunted her, staying her tongue. After Anakos was defeated and the curse was lifted she would finally take a moment with Corrin to explain everything she knew - about the kingdom, about its people, and how their families were intertwined. Until then, she would speak only of what was necessary.

How could she possibly have known that her son would become so enamored with Corrin, or that the princess would mirror his affections?

She should have noticed the signs. Shortly after joining the company, Shigure had begun asking her an awful lot of questions about Corrin. He wanted to know what she was like, what kinds of things she enjoyed, where she usually spent her time. Azura had not thought much of it at the time; Corrin was a very unusual commander, and new recruits were often curious about her. In hindsight it seemed a glaring miscalculation.

It was Kaze who first began to suspect there was more going on. As Corrin’s retainer he often shadowed her, and one day he informed Azura that she had been spending an inordinate amount of time going on flights with their son. He sounded amused by the prospect.

Azura's instinctual reaction had been one of anger; how _dare_ Corrin prey on her precious baby boy. She had to remind herself that though to her it had been less than a year since Shigure's birth, he was fully an adult with the capacity and drive to make his own decisions. Besides that, Corrin didn't have a mean bone in her body, and the idea of her taking advantage of anyone was almost laughable.

After talking through it with Kaze, who knew her well enough to sense her displeasure, she decided that she was overreacting; if they could find comfort in each other’s presence, who was she to take that away from them. They were both such gentle souls, and it should not have surprised her that they were drawn to one another.

It was not until later that it occurred to her that _Oh Gods they have no idea they're related_.

It made little difference to her - her life was so full of odd tragedies that her cousin courting her son was practically mundane - but she was unsure if it would make either of _them_ uncomfortable. It was her responsibility to let them know just in case it did… right? And better now than after letting their relationship get any further.

Or she could just… not. Just let whatever was going to happen, happen. It was entirely possible that the relationship would go nowhere, and it would make no difference. Or maybe the news would be inconsequential to both of them. Or maybe there wasn't even a relationship to begin with, and they both just really liked flying.

Azura was bad at conversation on a good day, and the thought of having a difficult conversation right now in the middle of a war for the survival of the known world was more than a little intimidating. The more she thought about it, the more appealing the second option was sounding.

But night after night guilt chipped away at her, and she thought about all the times she was forced to remain silent when her knowledge could have helped those closest to her, and how now that she had the freedom to speak she censored herself for her own selfish reasons.

She was being childish. Confrontations were hard, but that was no excuse to avoid responsibility altogether. She would just tell them and be done with it.

There was a rare quiet day at the camp, and Azura knew that if she did not take this opportunity to speak with Corrin and Shigure then she never would. She headed to the field where the pegasi were pastured, figuring she had a good chance of running into at least one of them there.

By some manner of luck (she wasn't sure if it was good or bad) she found them together. Azura had not prepared herself to face them both at once; she hesitated, watching them from some distance away.

They did not notice her. Shigure was standing next to his pegasus, helping Corrin dismount from the beast. She stumbled a bit as she touched down on the ground, only managing to stay on her feet because Shigure was there to steady her.

Corrin smiled up at him as soon as she regained her balance, and even from her distance Azura could see a spark in her eyes. Shigure smiled back, a gentleness in his gaze that Azura had not seen since before he was forced from his Deeprealm and that she had feared was lost forever.

She couldn't do it. It wasn't fair. They both deserved so much better than what life had given them, and if the knowledge Azura possessed had even a chance of damaging the joy they shared then it would be cruel to speak up. They were both so very dear to her; the thought of breaking both their hearts was unbearable.

Maybe when the war was over and the healing had begun, maybe then she could tell them. But here, in the midst of so much death and suffering, it did not seem right to smother any chance that love had to bloom.

Shigure pulled Corrin into his arms, and she giggled as she fell against his chest. Azura quickly remembered that she was spying on a private moment, and quietly slipped away before her presence was noticed.

Though nothing had truly changed, Azura felt her guilt fading away. Memories of the start of her own relationship warmed her heart, stolen kisses and cautious touches away from the prying eyes of the company.

If Shigure and Corrin felt even half the joy that Kaze had given her, she would do nothing to stand in their way.


End file.
